Why New Construction Inspection in Puerto Vallarta Matters
Many buyers assume that a brand-new home needs no inspection. In our experience as builders, the opposite is true. New buildings in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are often finished under pressure: the developer has a delivery date, several trades are working at the same time, and the last weeks are spent cleaning and staging rather than testing. Small mistakes get covered with paint and grout. A new construction inspection in Puerto Vallarta uncovers them while the developer is still responsible and still on site.
At a notary closing there is no legal requirement to inspect the property, and a preventa purchase is usually signed long before the unit physically exists. That means the delivery walkthrough (entrega) is your best opportunity to say what is not acceptable. Once you sign the delivery act and move furniture in, every claim becomes a negotiation. With a written, photo-based report in hand, it becomes a checklist.
Pre-Delivery Punch List Inspections for Preventa Buyers
When the developer announces your delivery date, book the inspection a few days before the official walkthrough or on the same day. We test what a quick visual tour misses: every outlet, every breaker, every faucet and drain, every window and lock, the A/C units, the water heater and the gas connection. We tap tile looking for hollow spots, check slopes on showers and terraces, and look closely at the waterproofing details that will decide whether your ceiling stains during the first rainy season.
Each defect is photographed, located on the plan, and marked with painter's tape on site so the developer's crew can find it without guessing. The report groups findings by system and assigns a priority level: Safety, Urgent, Maintenance or Monitor. That priority makes it easy to agree with the developer on what must be fixed before you accept the unit and what can be handled in the warranty period.
Typical findings at delivery
- Hollow or uneven tile, missing grout and showers that drain toward the door.
- Outlets without ground or wired with reversed polarity, and panels with no labels.
- Aluminum windows that leak at the corners or have blocked weep holes.
- Mini-split drain lines that discharge onto a neighbor's terrace or into a wall.
- Roof membranes with open laps, unsealed penetrations or ponding areas.
- Cosmetic damage from other trades: chipped countertops, scratched glass, stained paint.
Phase Inspections During a Custom Build
If you are building your own home with an architect or a contractor, the most valuable inspections happen before anything is hidden. Once concrete is poured or a wall is plastered, mistakes become very expensive to find and correct. We offer phase inspections at the key milestones of a typical Puerto Vallarta build:
- Foundation: excavation, soil conditions, footings and rebar layout, especially on hillside lots in Amapas, Conchas Chinas or the hills above Bucerías. See our foundation work for context.
- Structure before the pour: rebar size and spacing, cover, stirrups, beam and column connections, and formwork before each slab is poured.
- MEP rough-in: electrical conduit, plumbing and drainage lines, gas piping and A/C pre-installation, checked while walls and ceilings are still open.
- Waterproofing before finishes: roof, terrace and bathroom membranes, flood-tested where possible, before tile or pavers go on top.
These visits do not replace your architect's or engineer's supervision. They add an independent set of eyes that works only for you, and our reports are written so your builder can act on them right away.
The Warranty Walk Before the Developer Warranty Ends
Many defects only appear after you live in the property for a few months. The first rainy season, between June and October, reveals waterproofing failures. Humidity above 75% and salt air bring out rust on railings and poorly protected steel. Settlement shows as hairline cracks. A warranty walk scheduled before your developer warranty expires lets you document these problems with dates and photos while they are still covered.
We combine the visual inspection with a thermal camera and a moisture meter, which help show where water is entering behind finishes. You can learn more about that method on our thermal imaging inspection page.
Documenting Defects So the Developer Fixes Them
Developers in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta respond better to clear, specific and polite documentation than to a long list of complaints. Our report is designed for that. Each item includes a photo, a location, a plain-language description, the likely cause and the expected correction. Because the inspector is a builder first, we can explain why something failed and what a reasonable repair looks like, which helps avoid quick cosmetic fixes that hide the problem again.
The report is available in English, Spanish or both, so you can forward it directly to the developer's site team or the condo administration. If you live outside Mexico, we can walk you through the findings on a video call and you can send it from home. Reports are usually delivered within 24–48 hours after the visit. This is a technical document, not legal advice; for contract or delivery act questions, speak with your attorney or notary.
Independent, Bilingual and Builder-Led
As a home inspector in Puerto Vallarta who also builds, we understand the pressure on site and we know which issues matter. We work for you, not for the developer, and you are never obligated to hire PVR Contractors for any repair. If you do want help after the warranty period, our waterproofing and electrical installation teams can quote the work separately.
Buying a resale home instead of a new one? Our pre-purchase home inspection is built for that. For new condos in a tower, also look at our condo inspection, which adds the common areas and building systems. To see every service in our home inspection Puerto Vallarta division, visit the inspections hub or contact us with your delivery date.